Maybe not. Because back then there was no such thing a social media. No such phrase as "going viral."

So while the senator's comments made the news the story didn't last and the politician continued to flourish. As did the president's daughter.

Not these days.

'Try showing a little class'

Sen. John McCain pictured in the previous, more forgiving, century(Photo: Michael Meister / The Republic)

Elizabeth Lauten, the now former communications director for U.S. Representative Stephen Fincher, apologized for the "hurtful words" in her Facebook post about the Obama girls, Malia, 16, and Sasha, 13. But there was no chance of saving her job. Not in the 21st century.

Reports of what Lauten wrote not only exploded on the Internet but make all the national TV news programs, major publications and cable news operations. Not because it was important news but because anything that goes viral cannot – and will not -- be ignored.

Lauten criticized the president's girls for appearing to be bored during the White House event where the president "pardoned" the Thanksgiving turkey.

She wrote: "Dear Sasha and Malia, I get you're both in those awful teen years, but you're a part of the First Family, try showing a little class. At least respect the part you play. Then again your mother and father don't respect their positions very much, or the nation for that matter, so I'm guessing you're coming up a little short in the 'good role model' department."

The incident became such a big deal that Sean Spicer, the Republican National Committee's communications director – a fairly important job – condemned Lauten's remarks and wrote on Twitter (which also didn't exist in the last 1990s) "Children, especially the first daughters, are off limits."

That sentiment, like social media, didn't exist in 1998.

McCain's (even worse) tasteless joke

At a Republican party fund-raiser that summer Sen. John McCain decided to tell a joke about then-President Bill Clinton's daughter, Chelsea.

The gist of the senator's publicly-spoken knee-slapper was:

Do you know why Chelsea Clinton is so ugly? Because Janet Reno is her father.

But McCain apologized, Chelsea Clinton survived (and thrived) and we moved on.

This happened because in 1998 there was no all-pervasive, all-access, all-the-time crush of every variety of media, much of it unrelenting, ruthless, merciless and, to a degree that is completely out of proportion, unforgiving.